“Yea doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I
may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness
which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his
resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto
his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead”
(Philippians 3:8-11).
Introduction
The title for this study is very similar to the
previous one, but as we shall see there is a very good reason for this. For Paul
the Christian life was an ongoing rather than static experience. We notice that
in :7 he said that he “counted” his pre-Christian life as loss, but now he
says that he continues to “count” it so. The word “count” is in the
present tense; therefore Paul’s decision to go all out for Christ was not an
end in itself.
Renunciation
The believer’s greatest success in life is
nothing compared to the excellency and glory of Jesus Christ, for what is the
use of having everything yet not possess the life that He gives? “For what
is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or
what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26). Paul
willingly renounced the world and its version of wisdom because he found that
the knowledge of Christ was of the highest order. Religion, with all its
regulations, cannot offer us the most important knowledge of all, which is the
saving knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. It is a sign of sheer spiritual
stupidity if a believer rejects the way of truth for the things of the world.
“Suffered the loss” does not infer that he
found it difficult to give up his old way of life, instead it literally means
that Paul purposely and wholeheartedly cast it away. “So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple” (Luke 14:33). It was no more difficult for Paul to lay aside his
pre-Christian experiences, position and knowledge than it was for the merchant
in the parable of the ‘Pearl of Great Price’ to give up his riches (Matthew
13:45-46), for both found an even greater treasure. This is why Paul makes the
obvious comparison between what he had then and what he has now. He continued to
“count” his old life as “dung”. Valuable things can be lost, but since
Paul sees no worth in his “loss”, he considers them valueless and should be
forgotten. Remember that he had
been educated by one of the greatest Jewish teachers in history, namely Gamaliel
(Acts 5:34, 22:3), but now he considered even that as completely worthless
compared with what he learned from his true Master, Christ. Paul counted his
impeccable pedigree as absolutely worthless rubbish. The word “dung” can be
translated as ‘not fit for human consumption’ as well as the obvious
meaning.
The use of the word “win” does not imply that
obtaining salvation through personal means is possible, instead Paul is saying
that he could not lose when he was born again, but in reality he won, at no
expense of his own, the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians
3:8). Again, just as with the merchant in the parable, it was a
‘no-brainer’. Surely the biggest loser is the one who holds onto the
perishable when the everlasting is available. We “win” the “excellency of
the knowledge of Christ”. True “knowledge of Christ” involves listening to
His voice, following His Spirit, responding to His will and purposes for us,
love and obedience, and identifying with what concerns Him.
Righteousness
“To be found in him”. What are we without
Christ? Do we think that our own righteousness is acceptable to God? To be
“in” Christ we must stand before Him without a trace of our own
righteousness, goodness, or self-worth. It is a union and fellowship with Him
that produces such righteousness; and this is what Biblical faith is all about.
It is Christ’s righteousness, not ours, that makes us acceptable to God;
therefore those who try to come any other way will be eternally disappointed. “There
is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) … “But we are all as
an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah
64:6). Paul was delivered from legal bondage into spiritual freedom and was
instantly and thoroughly converted. He did not give up his unrighteous over a
period of time.
True believers have the righteousness that only
Jesus can give. “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians
5:21). The phrase “to be found in him” also indicates Paul’s great desire
to be with Christ when his earthly life was over, something he knew was only
possible if he continued to follow Him. “If any man will come after me, let
him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Resurrection
The foundation of Biblical salvation is the
sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. Those who respond to the
message of the gospel must accept the vital truth, otherwise they will never
have saving faith. This is the first step to truly knowing Christ as Saviour. If
we do not “know” Christ at this point, then we will never have the certainty
of new life in Him. How can we be real Christians if we do not have the
transforming “power of his resurrection” reigning in our lives? “Therefore
we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness
of life” (Romans 6:4) … “Even when we were dead in sins, hath
quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us
up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians
2:5-6). These words clearly teach us that we are expected to live a new life in
Christ. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).
This power cannot be effective unless we daily experience and live it out.
Resurrection life changes us, so no change means no salvation. “And what is
the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the
working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from
the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places”
(Ephesians 1:19-20).
“Fellowship of his sufferings”. Here Paul
highlights Christ suffering for him, rather than his own sufferings for Christ.
He understood that all he was going through paled into insignificance compared
with all that the Lord endured to bring salvation to the lost. “For I
reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). Suffering is
never far from the Christian experience, but we must never let it rob us of our
faith in Christ. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1
Peter 2:21) … “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only
to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). To
share Christ’s sufferings demands self-denial on our part, which means that
the flesh must be crucified, and that we must be willing to face any trial or
tribulation in faith.
“To be made comformable unto his death”. This
simply means that Paul fully committed himself to God and was willing to conform
to His plan rather than having any dreams or aspirations of his own. His desire
was to serve the Lord even if it cost him his life in the process. “For we
which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” (2 Corinthians 4:11) …
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
As we daily serve the Lord we realise that there are areas of our lives that
need to conform to His will. “In Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily” (1
Corinthians 15:31). Holding on to our stubborn will draw us into a backslidden
state, or worse still, into apostasy. The self-righteous religionist knows
nothing of this because he knows not Christ.
“If by any means” does not suggest that we can
use any means to make our way to God, for there is in fact only one available to
us. “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father,
but by me” (John 14:6). This phrase expresses Paul’s desire to reign
with Christ eternally, and reveals his confidence that he will see Christ face
to face one day. This was his aim, his driving passion and the force of his
life. Job said exactly the same thing using similar words, “For I know that
my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God: Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another;
though my reins be consumed within me” (Job 19:25-27).
Paul believed that the saved go directly to be
with the Lord at death. In speaking of the resurrection in :11 it is likely that
he has in mind the great resurrection at the end of the ages. This is the
glorious day which will launch the events that bring in the New Heaven and New
Earth. Christ will reign and suffering and shame will be no more (see John
5:28-29, 6:40, Acts 24:15, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Peter 3:10-13, Revelation
21:1). This “resurrection” includes the transformation of our earthly bodies
(see 1 Corinthians 15:42-54, 2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
Conclusion
Renunciation, Righteousness and Resurrection are
three areas of salvation that no believer can afford to be without. A Christian
life without these will be extremely shallow and poor. If we truly want to
“know” Christ then we must be willing to “suffer the loss” of our old
life, have His “righteousness” and daily experience the “power of His
resurrection”. This is how we can “know” we are “found in Him” and be
assured of our future place in His Kingdom.
